World Buzz

EU New Member

Ireland has joined forces with the Lisbon Treaty Nations. Irish voters have strongly endorsed the decision, 16 months after their first vote rejecting it ,which had plunged EU reforms into deadlock. Around 67% voted "Yes", official referendum results showed. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen hailed a "clear and resounding" endorsement. Political leaders across the EU have also welcomed the result.

"It was a great day for Europe", said the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, who also urged the leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic - the only other countries yet to ratify Lisbon - to sign the treaty as soon as possible.

A new leader

-Ireland's vote to ratify the European Union's Lisbon Treaty has finally cleared the way for the creation of a powerful new president, intended to elevate the 27-nation bloc's standing on the global stage.

-But do European leaders actually want one? Ahead lies a difficult discussion about how much power and influence a new European Union president should have and whether the post should fall to a political star — like former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain — or one of his old school technocratic rivals.

-The leaders of member countries will decide, probably this month, and their decision could determine whether the union really seeks the bigger role it says it needs, to try to match the influence of the United States and that of rising powers like China, Russia, India and Brazil.

What is ahead of us?

1 - La Vitrine Politique - The Lisbon Treaty, which aims to streamline decision-making and reform the bloc's structures, lays down a two-and-a-half-year term for a full-time president of the European Council, the body that represents member nations.

2 - Key roles and media time - The treaty, if finally ratified by the Poles and Czechs, also mandates a single new foreign affairs chief, in charge of both policy and aid money, and a new European diplomatic corps. Both new jobs would be subordinate to the leaders of member countries. The position of commission president, held by José Manuel Barroso of Portugal, continues.

Sure Thing

Those to fill the two new posts will have a considerable chance to carve out significant roles for themselves, since they will be the most prominent faces of a collective Europe. Remember, we live a quite particular moment: both financial and natural.

- The northern hemisphere tries yet to recover from a major crisis, a delicate moment. Financial policies and aid would act like a compass needle pointing out to safe waters.

- Mother nature shows its rage in south east Asia, where aid is needed and reconstruction must take place. EU has history in the area, ans help will be sent. As seen for the past months, temperature images in the Pacific indicate we are presently at a prelude of an El Niño year - predicted to be as strong as that of 1998 - while the water at the equator line in the African coast gets colder.

Apart from the financial recovery in progress ,we are in for severe, short period climate changes all over the globe due to El Niño. And the Old World must prepare for the months ahead, which will demand aid in different local areas as a wetter, cloudier winter in Northern Europe and a milder, drier winter in the Mediterranean Sea region might just repeat itself.

Add to that, the threat of the A1H1 virus...

We live changing times indeed, be it in politics, finance or nature!

Rio de Janeiro to host 2016 Olympics

Rio de Janeiro was chosen Friday as the host site of the 2016 Olympic Games, brushing aside an unprecedented personal appeal from President Obama and the first lady on behalf of their home town of Chicago, also McDonald's headquarters, whose budgets adds up to 900 million dollars for next Olympics in London. Strong lobby indeed.

The Carnaval city beat in the last round the surprise finalist Madrid. Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting at the meeting of the IOC in Copenhagen, and Tokyo was eliminated in the second one. In awarding Olympic bids, the IOC holds rounds of voting until one city receives a majority.

Rio, first-time-ever South American city to be chosen to host the games. This victory continues a welcome trend of acknowledging the growing importance of developing countries. The World Cup next year will be hosted by South Africa and in 2014 it will be held in Brazil.

2016 represents a tremendous opportunity for Terra Brasilis. The Olympics will give Brazilians a huge shot of self-confidence and boost the country’s tourism industry and Rio’s public transportation system. It’s also an opportunity to counter the violent imagery of drug lords, gang murders and grinding poverty realistically captured in films such as “City of God” (2002) and "Tropa de Elite"(2007). Those scenes have replaced postcard images of beaches and mountains that used to seduce people around the world.

Lula must defeat Rio de Janeiro's violent crime, which residents call it the biggest cloud over their city's postcard-perfect shot. When the world’s attention is on them, Brazilians don’t take chances. During these types of events, law enforcement is shifted from the local police, who don’t exactly enjoy a reputation for moral rectitude.

Instead, Brazil’s military runs security, sporting assault weapons and tanks. If you think Rio’s drug kingpins are crazy enough to conduct business as usual under those conditions, think it again. As 2012 host city of London has to be prepared and cope with possible terrorist attacks for the its games, Rio will have to work out the drug dealing issue. For the moment, the city will take a good look at what's being done for the London games, besides the exchange of security knowledge for large events with France.

Six and a half years of hard work will show whether COI's choice was indeed the good one - or not.

Sources: Folha de São Paulo, Wikipedia, Climatempo.com.br , Aviso.oceanobs.com, associated press, new york times, le monde, newsmap, migalhas.com, the telegraph, irishnews.

Swine Flu

Foreseeing. It is all about foreseeing.

What is ahead of Europe regarding the swine flu provoked by the H1N1 virus for this coming fall and winter can be somewhat predicted. Maybe it can be avoided, but definitely it will have to be faced. So, let us be prepared to cope with human losses and economic slowdown! And why not, develop a business that will help out others and bring you profit ?

How? By practicing "la veille" as French charmingly define -watching/surveillance. Governments do it, but in a rather social than economic way. Obviously the target is to spare human lives. But we can not forget the ones who escape this misery. Their lives go on, and so do the services to support them.

Europe will certainly face what is now being experienced by southern hemisphere countries like Argentina and Australia. These nations go through the winter now, they have the same latitude and economic level of development as to Carpathian countries as well as Greenwich time zone ones. These austral countries have been suffering economically due the presence of the virus. In Argentina the H1N1 flu epidemic that has affected at least 120,000 people in the country, more than 150 of whom have died, has led to a slowdown in economic activity. Theaters, cinemas, discos and gyms were temporarily closed, school vacations were extended and fewer people have been going out to eat.

Australia, the Asia-Pacific region's worst-hit country, has already placed an advance order for 21 million dosages - enough to immunize its entire population. But is it enough? "Having a vaccine available is not the same as having a vaccine that has been proved safe," said World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan to Britain's Guardian newspaper. Australia said its total of H1N1 flu cases had reached over 10 400, more than 10% of the WHO's global total. The country suspects H1N1 flu was the culprit in the deaths of some 20 people.

Many say a vaccine will be out soon. WHO director of vaccine research Marie-Paul Kieny, calling the pandemic "unstoppable", had said early July that a swine flu vaccine should be available as early as September. Will there be enough to everyone? How will manage the poor countries? Argentine President Cristina Fernandez suggested that developing countries should be allowed to "lift patent rights" so they can produce more vaccines to battle the A/H1N1 flu epidemic. In a speech at a regional Mercosur leaders summit in Paraguay, Fernandez said changing the status quo "does not mean disavowing the patents law," according to a report by the state news agency Telam.

Things are serious. But the press does not alarm the population of the profound problem we are in for. Maybe it does not appeal, or does not sell...

Now supposing a vaccine does come out in time, labs all over the planet work full time to produce enough doses to cover all needs, and amazing logistic will be put in place to deliver all production to where it is needed....will we have reasons to feel safe? Unconcerned and relieved?

Mankind has been fighting the cold virus for over centuries and has not come to a complete eradication because it mutates constantly....from season to season.

Regardless of the vaccine efficiency, as the virus will undoubtedly change on his trip up the northern hemisphere..it is time to watch, learn and act to prevent the worst. Because there will be losses, in large numbers.It is not necessary to be an alarmist to agree with that.

Disgrace for some, joy for others. I will never forget during the "El Ninõ " season back 1998...i have seen hundreds of homeless due the severe rainfall and ocean rage.
But it was a classic, consistent month of swell - one of best surf trips I have ever made.....
So, intelligence view on this matter shows that the H1N1 virus will certainly bring human losses, but on the other hand it may generate great business opportunities.

So, why not grab one as we help out others in the need ?


Sources: AFP, SAPA, The Guardian, news24 and newsmap.

Time for Innovation

History shows us: hard times have pushed mankind to move forward. Looking back at the last one hundred years, the large scale use of airplanes, control of atomic energy and the man on the moon are good examples.

No matter whether they were times of wars, natural disorders or economic crisis, some good always came out of evil, just as we see it in nature.
We have the opportunity to witness now, as it unfolds before our eyes, another tough period.

So, how shall we profit it?

Simply by letting the those insights, those dreams and those great ideas out. Then it is just a matter of separating the superb ones, and hands on to work! Make money! Create jobs! Cooperate for a better society! It is time to invent and reinvent things!

This bulk of superb ideas will certainly produce some innovation. It may come out in the form of a new product, a new method, or most commonly, a new service. Remember that today's common ones, once were great innovations.

- Imagine the guy who had the idea to tie together Pizza+Motorbike/car to come up with pizza home delivery. He would be millionaire by now if he had ever registered it.

- Or the individual at a large fastfood company that added the sale of Sandwiches + hunger of mobel clients. He came up with the drive through. Both examples show the simplicity of joining two already existing services to create a brand new one.

Needless to say that we, average Joe's, are able to come up with great ideas. The matter resides in putting them into practice. For a self entreprenor or a company, these days of crisis might give you a shot, even if there are countless reasons telling you not to innovate.

We have selected ten of most common ones (and they are in great number, belive us) to be prepared for:

1. Definition of "innovation" (framed as an initiative, not a normal way of doing business).
2. No sense of urgency nor strategy.
3. Employees suffers from "initiative fatigue".
4. Senior Team is not aligned and/or CEO does not fully embrace the effort.
5. No compelling vision or reason to innovate.
6. Key players lack time to focus on innovation.
7. Innovation champions are not empowered, generating lack of trust.
8. Non-existent or fuzzy decision making processes.
9. Cost cutting or incremental improvement culture.(we stay where we are, producing more with less).
10. Employers ruled by past assumptions and old mental models.

Are we motivated yet? Do you feel that you have that super, doable, business oriented, impossible- to- fail innovating idea?

The Intelligence Factory is there to help you out to put it into practice, by making it easier the task of braking paradigms, cultural barries and low spirits.

We are able to give you a hand with: creativity, observation, perseverance, oral and written communication, analysis capacity, business hints and clues, strategic approach, business terminology, market monitoring, presentation of new ideas and sourcing.

Moreover, we may work out solutions using our knowledge on methodologies, power structures inside companies, decision making processes, the development of competances, control of changing habits and the industry in general.

So, next time you come up with that so called long shot idea, do not let it aside, to be shared with your buddies at your favorite bar.
Drop us a line and maybe we can help you make your idea a profitable, innovating one!

Photo by Felipe T. Marques at Flickr

Persian at Google

In perfect timing, Google just added the Persian language (Farsi) to its translation tool. In the middle of a very critical after-election period in Iran, this lauching comes in handy to follow news, blogs, twits, forums, even facebook messages, with a local point of view of the facts.

It is, without a doubt, a major step towards providing information to the avage Joe who is aware of the situation in the middle east and does not want to rely only on major network articles.

The translating machine is not perfect, as any other presently on the web, but it provides good overall understanding. Google says it will keep an eye on this new service for a while, to avoid brakes and eventual slow pace.

The Mountain View company adverts that the service is available - for the moment - from English to Persian, and vice-versa - for the time being, the non English speaking individual has to pass through English first, which may cause some more degrading.

For more click here

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